Middle School Blast Feb 20, 2026

Seventh and Eighth Grade Winter Dance is Tonight, Friday, Feb. 20, 7-9:30 p.m.

Admission is $7 at the door and will be cash only. The dance is in Founders Hall from 7-9:30 p.m. Please be sure your students have a ride promptly at 9:30 p.m.!

Mid-Third Quarter Student Reflections

Our annual mid-third quarter student reflection activity will occur the week of Feb. 23. This activity is intended to build greater responsibility and empowerment for our students, while serving to maintain appropriate lines of communication between home and school. The student reflection activity is designed to allow students to reflect upon their progress by understanding their strengths and challenges, as noted in their teachers’ comments at this time of the year, and discuss these with their adviser(s). Specifically, they will focus on the following questions:

• What are the strengths that your teachers have noticed about your performance? These  strengths can be academic, behavioral, organizational, etc.
• What are the challenges that your teachers have noticed about your performance? These challenges can be academic, behavioral, organizational, etc.

At the conclusion of the week, students will bring everything home to discuss their efforts and set goals for the remainder of the academic year. More than anything, it is our hope that this activity serves to create a growing sense of confidence and independence that is so important for students during their Middle School years.  

Course Electives for 2026-27 School Year

Current Sixth Grade (Rising Seventh Grade) Parents

We are approaching a point in our planning where we need your assistance in determining a program choice for next year. All sixth grade students will be placed in our semester-long visual and theater arts courses, but they will be able to choose their music course. Please see the music course information and the seventh grade registration form. Please look over this information and discuss with your child any preferences they might have regarding these music choices. Once you have made your decision, please fill out the course selection form by Friday, March 6. 

Current Seventh Grade (Rising Eighth Grade) Parents

Students entering the eighth grade will elect courses to fulfill their fine and performing arts requirement. The course electives give students the opportunity to tailor their program of study to their own particular interests. Students will elect courses in visual art, tech art, music, theater, writing, and computer science. We will make every attempt to provide students with their top choices, but it may not be possible due to scheduling and/or staffing constraints.

Current seventh grade students had a class meeting and were given descriptions of the courses and requirements. These students were also given a grade eight electives document to help them with their choices. If you have not yet talked with your child about the eighth grade electives, now is the time to do so. After your child has made their decisions, please complete the eighth grade electives form given to your child and return it to the Middle School Office by Friday, March 6. You may reply in any of the following manners:

• Paper: Please send the paper copy to the office with your child
• Scan: Please send a copy of the eighth grade electives form to andy.mcgarvey@7hills.org
• Mail: please send a copy of the eighth grade electives form to:
  • Seven Hills School, Middle School Office, Attn: Andy McGarvey, 5400 Red Bank Road, Cincinnati, OH 45227

Current Eighth Grade (Rising Ninth Grade) Parents

Registration for ninth grade is done individually with Mrs. Vicky Hausberger, our ninth grade school counselor, beginning Feb. 23. If you have not yet scheduled a meeting with her, please select a time at Mrs. Hausberger’s calendar. The 2026-27 Upper School Program of Studies is now available.

Join us for our next LEAD Together event with David Yeager — Thursday, Feb. 26

If you’ve ever wondered how to push your child toward their potential without it feeling like pressure, or how to give feedback that actually lands, we have an evening designed for you.

We’re bringing parents, faculty, and staff together for a webinar on Thursday, Feb. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the Lotspeich Library with David Yeager, one of the country’s leading researchers on adolescent motivation. His work centers on a powerful idea: young people thrive when the adults in their lives hold high expectations and communicate genuine belief in their ability to meet them. There’s real science behind what makes it work… and real practices you can bring home.

This isn’t a presentation. It’s also a conversation we’re having together, because the most powerful thing we can do for our students is to be on the same page about how to support them.

Free childcare and dinner is available. Please register now!

Soul Food Lunch — Feb. 27

Next Friday, Feb. 27 the Upper School Black Student Union will be sponsoring a Soul Food Lunch in honor of Black History Month. Soul food has been a way for African Americans to celebrate their cultural heritage by expressing their pride in their identity through food. It also promotes community, culture, and is tied to the social and political lives of Black people. The food for this event will be donated by families in our Seven Hills community and catered. The cost of the lunch is $11 and can be paid for with the student lanyard, a credit card, or cash. It will be held in the cafeteria during normal lunch hours. Note with the food coming from multiple sources if your student has food allergies, it is not recommended that they purchase this meal.

Come see the Middle School Musical “Into the Woods, JR.” — March 1

The performance is on Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets available through TicketLeap.

Real Talk Series “Rainbow Voices” — March 6

As part of our school’s commitment to building a community where everyone feels seen, valued, and included, we’re preparing the next panel of our Real Talk Series. This series is all about hearing powerful stories and perspectives from people with different experiences. These conversations are designed just for the Middle School student body — to spark curiosity, open minds, and help us all better understand and celebrate the diversity that makes our Seven Hills community so special.

The last panel discussion this year, “Rainbow Voices,” will focus on gender identity and sexuality and how individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community experience and express this aspect of themselves. Panelists will openly share about their day-to-day lived experiences, including the challenges and celebrations of being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, the courage and resilience they’ve demonstrated, and any insights that may help address common misconceptions. All content is carefully planned and age-appropriate to ensure a respectful and supportive environment for students. The goal of this panel is not to promote a particular viewpoint, but to help students listen, ask thoughtful questions, and better understand the diverse experiences represented by Rainbow Voices — both within our broader community and among people they may already know, including family members, friends, neighbors, or public figures they see in media and culture.

We believe this is an important step in helping our students develop empathy and respect for one another. Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to James Jessup, Madame Kalubi, or Kristin Suer. Please print, sign, and return the opt out form to your child’s adviser if you DO NOT want your child to participate in the “Rainbow Voices” Program. It will include advisory activities around this topic and the Real Talk panel presentation on the morning of Friday, March 6.

Field House Parking Lot — Temporary Traffic Flow Changes